Fastest rise in drug use in south, study finds

There has been an alarming rise in recent drug use in Cork and Kerry, new figures show.

Use of illegal drugs within the last year in the Southern Regional Drug Task Force rose from 4.9% of adults in 2007 to 6.1% in 2011.

Recent drug use, or last-year use, is considered a better indicator of drug trends than lifetime use, which is use of any drug in a person’s life.